Personal call
by Dr.Horus
Summary: Carlos makes a personal call to Cecil, asking a very important question.


"Good night, Night Vale, good night." Cecil's velvety voice said ominously. Carlos closed his eyes and let the seductive sound wash over him, sending a slight shiver up his spine. How he loved Cecil's voice!

Finally he opened his eyes and turned off the radio on his desk, knowing that Cecil's time was done and he most certainly didn't want to stick around for the promised mating calls of whales.

With a reluctant sigh, Carlos hauled himself up from his mess of a desk. He looked down at the clutter, stacks of papers consisting of scientific reports or forgotten take-out orders, a set of phials, a beaker with coffee in it, a coffee cup with green goop in it, his old radio, and another beaker of pencils and pens. He really ought to clean the mess, but another time. Right now he had other things on his mind.

Carlos started shifting through the swamp of papers. His brown eyes flickered from paper to paper, jumping between advanced mathematical equations to in depth poems about potato salad.

"Aha!" he cried out triumphantly as his eyes landed on what he had been searching for. He snatched up the cellphone from the crevice it had been hiding in.

Flipping the phone open Carlos started for the back door of the lab. He searched through his contacts briefly until he found the one he wanted. Carlos swallowed hard. Suddenly his hands were shaking from his nervousness, his palms were sweaty and his heart felt as if it had jumped into his throat. He tried to swallow again, this time managing to push past the lump that his heart had created. With a trembling finger Carlos pressed dial.

The dull beeping filled Carlos's ears for several second, during which time he wondered if he should hang up or not. God, he needed fresh air.

With this is mind he let himself out the back door and onto the half built fire escape that overlooked the parking lot behind the lab. Half built because it only had a platform and a partially formed ladder that only had three rungs.

Carlos closed his eyes again, feeling the hot air blow his gray streaked brown hair back from his face.

The beeping in his ear ceased and was replaced by Cecil's beautiful voice. "Helllooo?" he crooned. Carlos had to lean on the hand railing to keep from keeling over. His legs felt like jelly.

"H-hi, Cecil." he stammered. Carlos swallowed once more and straightened. He had to compose himself. "I am calling for personal reasons." Carlos managed to force out.

On the other end Cecil let out a sort of squeak. "Oh...?" he inquired in a strained voice.

"Also, my calculations show a strange source of energy approaching the town, but not emanating the kind of light that such a source should." Carlos quickly fumbled up an excuse for calling. "Have there uh...been any reports...about something like that?" He mentally punched himself.

"Um...No-no there haven't been." There was the sound of rustling papers before and during Cecil's reply.

"Could you keep an ear out for any-oh and tell your listeners about the energy source?" Carlos's mind whirled as he spoke almost robotically. How should he ask? What should he say.

"Of course!" Cecil almost sounded too excited to help. "I mean, of course." he quickly amended in a calmer tone. "Something like that must be very important."

"Yeah..." Carlos trailed off and rubbed his arm. The two were engulfed in an awkward silence.

This is bad. I need to say something. I need to ask him. But how? Carlos thought desperately. The moment was quickly passing and Carlos didn't know how to save it.

"So, uh-?" both started at once. Carlos couldn't help but laugh, and he was even more at ease when Cecil offered a returning chuckle. The glorious sound resounded throughout Carlos's body, spreading with it an unexplainable joy. It was in this moment that Carlos knew he had to ask him.

"Cecil." he spoke solidly, and with a sudden confidence. If he could make this wonderful man laugh at least once then surely not all was lost.

"Yes, Carlos?" came the answering eagerness that was Cecil.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Carlos bit his lip. The nervousness was setting back in.

"No, I was just going to go home and comb my chair. Why...did you have any...ideas?" Cecile spoke smoothly with an edge of anticipation.

"Nothing much, just wondered if you maybe wanted to go Geno's for dinner." Carlos succeeded in swallowing his heart and felt it plummet to the pit of his stomach.

Silence. Nothing. Not even a breathe passed over the phone.

Then, "Of course! I'd love to!" Cecil exploded.

All of the anxiety and anticipation for the phone call crumbled inside Carlos and gave way to joy and happiness. He felt like squealing at the top of his lungs and jumping around, throwing his arms in the air.

"Great!" he grinned hugely even though Cecil couldn't see him. "I'll meet you in Old Town in say...twenty minutes, okay?"

"Sounds perfect!" Cecil sighed longingly. "See you then!"

"Bye."

"Bye."

Carlos hung up and let out a content sigh. He had finally done it. Carlos had finally asked Cecil out on a date.

He only managed to contain his excitement for half a second before letting loose a whoop of happiness. Followed by a giddy set of hops and Carlos squeezed his cheeks together.

All at once Carlos stopped dead on the spot. "I have to find something to wear." he realized. With one last happy cry, Carlos bounded back inside to find his casual weekend lab coat. 


End file.
